Fragments of Fame
by Count Mallet
Summary: A collection of speculative vignettes – one for each of the six seasons – that add to various episodes from the original TV version of "Fame." Rated T for high school-related topics such as dating relationships & drunk driving. [S35-F27-M12]
1. A Musical Appeal

**Episode Tie-in:** _Metamorphosis_ (the pilot episode).

* * *

Mr. Shorofsky checked his subway map and made a mental note of his last stop. It wasn't part of the usual commute between his apartment and the School of the Arts. The last thing he needed was to get lost in the bustle of New York City.

"_Somebody, please remind me why I'm doing this,"_ he told himself. Like any other teacher, he had more than his fair share of headstrong students. His most-recent one, the upperclassman Bruno Martelli, seemed to be different, though. Mr. Shorofsky found himself thinking back to Bruno's admissions audition. Bruno and his father brought in an impressive bank of synthesizers and electronics that eventually blew out the fuses in the auditorium.

Mr. Shorofsky sub-audibly mumbled, "synthesizers," as the pedestrian signal changed to "Walk." He held a strong dislike of the harsh electronic sounds produced from those instruments – those cacophonous torture devices. It grated on his nerves worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Of course that paled in comparison to what Bruno said and did during the opening week of the new school year.

Earlier in the week, Bruno ad-libbed during a piano ensemble lesson. Mr. Shorofsky cringed as he recalled using the word "orgy" in chastising Bruno. Given it referred to any wild revelry, it seemed appropriate at the time, though.

A few days later, he was shocked to hear Bruno state rather emphatically, "Orchestras are an endangered species." Even his colleague, Mrs. Tossoff, looked on in disbelief when Bruno made the statement.

Despite this, Mr. Shorofsky knew Bruno was a gifted musician. As much as Bruno grated on his nerves, however, Mr. Shorofsky had to admit that Bruno's musical knowledge and skill impressed him. Bruno never disappointed when it was time to be graded on his performances. It was obvious he was driven when it came to his music. However, Mr. Shorofsky had to show him that classical music was an important foundation for any aspiring musician. And, perhaps most importantly, playing instruments other than keyboards would make him more versatile.

Mr. Shorofsky walked up the stairs and rang the door bell. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Martelli answered it.

"Oh, Mr. Shorofsky, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Not exactly, Mr. Martelli. May I come in."

"Of course, and you can call me Angelo." Mr. Martelli replied, knowing full well Mr. Shorofsky would still refer to him as "Mr. Martelli" in spite of his statement.

Mr Shorofsky entered and sat down in a chair.

"So, what exactly is going on," Mr. Martelli asked.

"Bruno has proven to be more of a challenge as a Sophomore," Mr. Shorofsky replied. Bruno wasn't in trouble _per se_ – and he didn't want his father to think so. Still, he needed to know what had happened over the past few days.

"What's going on? If he's misbehaving, let's fix this now." Before Mr. Shorofsky could say anything, Mr. Martelli went to the basement steps and called downstairs, "Bruno, please come up here."

Bruno quickly came upstairs. "What's wrong, pop?" he asked.

"Mr. Shorofsky is here. I think we both need to have a talk with him."

Bruno looked at his father curiously. Why would his music teacher come all the way out tot his part of town to speak with his father and him? He followed his father into the front room.

Mr. Shorofsky made eye contact with Bruno in an attempt to avoid ambiguity. "Mr. Martelli, I hope you're doing well," he told Bruno.

"Yes, sir," Bruno answered, eager to be respectful in front of his father.

"So, what's going on? You haven't exactly said much of anything yet," Mr. Martelli stated.

"Well, at the beginning of the week, Mr. Martelli here decided to add his own flair to the _Ode to Joy_ when he was supposed to be playing as part of a group ensemble," Mr. Shorofsky answered as he looked at Bruno.

"Bruno, you know you won't always be playing music on your own. You have to get used to playing with other musicians," his father stated.

Bruno was about to respond with a sentence beginning with, _"Yeah, but..."_ but he stopped. He simply nodded his head.

"And you might be interested to know this year's curriculum includes small group compositions and performances," Mr. Shorofsky added.

"So I noticed," Bruno replied plainly.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Mr. Martelli asked.

Mr Shorofsky blinked. He wanted to make sure his choice of words was appropriate in describing the brouhaha involving orchestras. He didn't fight with Bruno exactly, but their viewpoints were near-polar opposites.

"Mr. Martelli and I had a rather … spirited discussion about orchestras. He seems to think that orchestral arrangements are obsolete now that we're in the 80's," he finally answered.

"Bruno, I know you love any type of keyboard – especially your synthesizers – but what's wrong with orchestral arrangements?" Mr. Martelli asked. He'd be the first to admit he didn't understand his son's musical interest or tastes, but wasn't learning about **any** form of music a good thing?

"If you haven't noticed, pop, people aren't patronizing orchestras as much these days. Synthpop groups are a lot more popular," Bruno told his father.

"That may be, but you still need to learn what's being taught."

Bruno shook his head in defeat. How could he convince his father and teacher that he wanted to focus on modern music and produce his own, good version of that.

Mr. Shorofsky observed the conversation. He thought he just might have an idea … but would it work?

"Mr. Martelli, you want to produce good music, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Bruno replied.

"Well, what if I told you that studying and playing classical music can make you better at playing your own music – if that's what counts as music today."

"Are you saying if I play in unison with a group and that old orchestra stuff, it will make me a better keyboardist?"

"That's exactly what I'm proposing. I know we'll have our disagreements, Mr. Martelli. And to be honest, I'd be disappointed if we didn't. But at least listen to what I have to say in class with an open mind. That's all I ask."

"That doesn't sound too unreasonable," Mr. Martelli interjected.

"It's still not my favorite way to learn, but if you can show me how it can make me better with contemporary music, I'm willing to try it," Bruno responded.

"Thank you, Mr. Martelli. On that note, I better get going. The next subway stop is in 15 minutes and I don't want to be late."

"Are you sure you can't stay? Dinner will be ready soon and we'd love to have you," Mr. Martelli stated.

"Thanks for the offer, but I really must go. I'm unfamiliar with the area, and heaven forbid I don't make it home tonight. Gentleman, thanks again; and, I'll see you on Monday, Mr. Martelli. Be ready to learn and be open to what I present."

"You've got it," Bruno promised.

Mr. Shorofsky got up to leave and Mr. Martelli saw him tot the door. After the former left, the latter talked to his son some more.

"You see, he's not that bad of a teacher," Mr. Martelli said.

"No, but I still think he hates all modern music. If he had his way, we'd all be composing long-hair music every semester."

"Nevertheless, don't forget what you promised him. Hear him out in class. You're smart enough to figure out how to take it and make you better at your music."

Bruno nodded.

"Say, I won't be getting more unexpected visits from any other teachers, am I?"

Bruno thought for a moment. "I don't think so, unless Miss Sherwood is unhappy with what I said in English class today."

Mr. Martelli looked nervous. "What did you do?" he asked somewhat reluctantly.

"She asked me to use 'metamorphosis' in a sentence, so I said, 'I never met a morphosis I didn't like'."

Mr. Martelli rolled his eyes. "Bruno, I'm paying to send you to that school to be a musician, not a comedian... unless you plan to be a drama major."

"No, pop."

"In that case, watch the wisecracks. I know how tempting it can be to say stuff like that, but it's not worth getting in trouble over. Save it for when you take that intro to drama class."

"Yes, sir."

"Dinner's almost ready, Bruno. Let's go eat."

Bruno nodded and followed his father into the kitchen. Ever since his mother died, dinner had become more of an important tradition between the two of them. ▄

* * *

**Acknowledgments: **Very special thanks to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for creating the television version of _Fame_, and to Midway Games for the arcade version of _Space Invaders_.

**Commentary:** In re-watching some of my favorite _Fame_ episodes on YouTube – and writing the one-shot, _Exit, Stage Boston_ – I came up with the idea for writing a collection of _Fame_ vignettes. The show ran for six seasons, so I thought it might be nice to do one for each season.

It seemed natural to do the first vignette for the first episode of the show (S1E1). As I've watched it prior to writing this chapter, the episode is a transition of sorts – a metamorphosis – between the original movie and what would be the TV show. It seemed fitting to kick off my story by using the very first episode.

Although it isn't explicitly stated, I'm assuming Bruno to be a Sophomore in the first season. He's shown with returning students in this episode. Because he left the school in Season Three, it would make sense he would have graduated had he not had to drop out early.

Bruno was undoubtedly one of Mr. Shorofky's favorite students in the first half of the show. Sure, they clashed regularly; but, deep down, they came to have a strong mutual respect for each other. It was fun writing about the start of that student-teacher relationship – as portrayed on the TV show – here.

Should this collection of vignettes be well-received, I might even consider a sequel.


	2. Human-Computer Interaction

**Episode Tie-in:** _Blood, Sweat, and Circuits_ (Season 2, Episode 17).

* * *

"Great job, everyone! Go hit the showers before the final bell," Miss Grant told her dance students.

As the dancers stepped off of the stage and left the auditorium, most of the other students and staff left as well.

Miss Sherwood walked down to the orchestra pit and stopped.

"Bruno, Dwight, I'm very impressed. I never imagined you'd come up with the presentation you did," she said.

"Well, we had some help, too. Without Leroy, we wouldn't have much of a presentation," Bruno replied.

"The three of you far exceeded my expectations. I never imagined that a computer could do that."

"Does this mean we get a higher average on our last English exam now?" Dwight asked.

Miss Sherwood paused. Her recent experiences with computers were far from pleasant. In fact, she still had to call the phone company yet again to figure out why their computer claimed she never paid last month's bill – the fact she already had her canceled check notwithstanding. However, she made a deal with Bruno and Dwight; she felt obligated to keep her word, even if she still wasn't a fan of computers.

"You kept your end of the deal. I'll keep mine. I'll increase everyone's exam score by 5%," she said before she turned and left the auditorium.

Leroy pumped his fist triumphantly. English with Miss Sherwood was his least favorite class. The increase would actually give him a passing score.

As Bruno powered off his various synthesizers and speakers, he looked over at Dwight. With the presentation over, Dwight shut down the computer and prepared it for its new home in Miss Grant's classroom. It was an unexpected – but pleasant – surprise to know that the presentation also kept the school's secretary, Mrs. Berg, from being fired. The school board, in its infinite wisdom, intended to fire her once the computer was set up to track attendance, grade records, and other student information.

"So, how does it feel?" Bruno asked Dwight, interrupting the silence.

"Excuse me?" Dwight asked in reply.

"Remember that speech you made about not fitting in, but wishing you did?"

"Oh, that. I still don't get the question."

"How did it feel to know you played a big role in our project? Now, everyone's going to know you're more than just the awkward, sousaphone-playing leader of the student hall patrol."

Dwight cracked a small smile. "That's really kind of you to say, Bruno. But, I'm willing to bet that everyone will forget that by tomorrow. As soon as I write someone up for not having a hall pass, or when they see me practicing, they'll not even know – or care – about what I did today," he replied.

"I'm not so sure about that. Miss Grant is going to need someone to show her how to do what you did today. She's not going to ask me to do it. She's going to ask the computer whiz – you."

"I suppose you have a point."

"Besides, you really wowed me, too. I knew you were all gung-ho about computers, but I had no idea you could do anything like that."

"When I'm not practicing my sousaphone, I've been teaching myself BASIC programming."

"What you did today was far from basic," Bruno deadpanned.

"No, BASIC is a language for programming computers – a way to tell it what to do, so to speak."

"Oh I see. Either way, you impressed a lot of people today – including me. I've gotta say I have a new found respect for you."

"Even if I write you up for detention in the near future?"

Bruno chuckled. "Even if your write me up. I promise."

Dwight smiled again. "Let's get this loaded up so I can put it Miss Grant's room before we go home," he stated.

* * *

In another classroom, Mr. Shorofsky finishing playing the piano for Mrs. Berg. Without any warning, though, she quickly stood up and walked briskly to the door.

"I'm not that bad a player, am I?" Mr. Shorofsky asked dryly.

"It's not that. I had a very wonderful time. I just remembered something I need to do before I leave. Thanks for everything, Mr. Shorofsky. Have a nice day," she called out as she walked down the hall.

"Isn't that what I usually say to people?" Mr. Shorofsky asked himself out loud.

* * *

As the elevator door opened, Bruno and Dwight were set to go in opposite directions. The latter had to put the computer in Miss Grant's dance room. The former had to return his synthesizer and equipment back to the practice room from which it was borrowed.

"Well, Dwight. This is it until next time. Thanks for your help. You were right, we blew them away," Bruno said.

"Thanks. I can't wait to see what Miss Grant does next with this," Dwight replied as he patted the computer's monitor.

"I'm sure it will be something real big. She's as passionate about dance as you are about computers. It makes an interesting combination."

"Do you think she'd have you include your synthesizer again? You know you really wowed her – and everyone else – with your part of the presentation."

"I don't know. Maybe? I'm sure you could combine what you do with any other form of music. I better get going. You know how Shorofsky is about people borrowing instruments."

Dwight nodded. "He was quite cross with me the first – and only time – I returned a sousaphone late."

* * *

Dwight looked around in Miss Grant's classroom. Finding a free outlet was more of a challenge than Dwight expected. Finally, he found one partially hidden in the far corner. It wasn't the best spot for computer equipment, but at least it would be out-of-the-way of the main dance area and stretching bars. Dwight carefully set up the computer and monitor and booted the machine to make sure it started up properly.

"_If only I had more time. I'd get rid of all that office software and free up more space for the good stuff,"_ Dwight thought.

"There you are!" a female voice called out from the doorway.

"Mrs. Berg, is something wrong?" Dwight asked.

"Not at all. I was told you'd be here." Mrs. Berg then walked over to Dwight. "So, she's really going to use it for her classes."

"That's the plan," Dwight replied.

"Do you know who put it in the auditorium? Surely, you might have heard some juicy gossip as captain of the hall patrol."

Dwight paused for a moment. As much as he was tempted to confess to his moving the computer, he didn't see the point. It was found and used without any issues; and it was no longer a threat to Mrs. Berg's job.

"Nobody confessed to me," Dwight replied honestly. "Besides, at this point, does it really matter? It's not lost or stolen anymore."

"I guess not. But somebody must like me to have gone through the trouble of hiding it so I could keep my job."

"I guess so. You **are** well-liked around here." It was true. Dwight was pretty sure all 300 or so students respected their school secretary. Most – if not all the faculty – surely did, too.

"There is another reason I was looking for you. I need you to check something on the computer for me."

"Mrs. Berg, you're not going to try using it still, are you?"

"Of course not. I want to see if the last program I had installed is still there."

"What is it? I can check for you."

Mrs. Berg blushed slightly. "Well, after seeing you do all that stuff with the dancing stick figures, you inspired me to have it programmed to play Space Invaders," she admitted sheepishly.

"You play Space invaders?" Dwight asked in disbelief.

"You bet your buttons I do! And I'd really like to play it once before Miss Grant deletes it or something."

"Do you know if it's set up for two-player games?"

"I think so."

"I'd love to play a game against you," Dwight stated.

"I'd be delighted. Just don't get mad if I wipe the screen with you."

Dwight chuckled as he found and ran the program. Mrs. Berg could be a bit spunky – and a bit feisty at times – but that's what people liked about her.

"Ladies first," Dwight told Mrs. Berg as he slid the keyboard over to her.

"You're going down!" Mrs. Berg said as she began to press the keys to move and fire. ▄

* * *

**Commentary:** I enjoy this episode for a number of reasons. First, we see what passes for modern technology (at the time). It makes me think of my first computer lab experience with old Apple and Apple II computers.

In addition, we get see some character development for Dwight. Let's be honest. Most fans remember him as a die-hard fan of the sousaphone and his position as captain of the hall patrol – where it seems he enjoys the power of that position a little too much at times. In this episode, however, we see that despite this, he also wants to fit in more with his peers. He seems to be fully aware he is the outcast of the bunch, but he wishes that could change.

Also, we see just how important Mrs. Berg is to the school. While it's possible the computer could manage things a bit more efficiently than she ever could, students and staff alike have come to respect her and rally behind her. She's not just a secretary. She does more to keep the School of the Arts running than anyone – or any machine.

One thing I found odd, though, is that we never did see the computer used in any dance productions in the future. Then again, a lot of shows don't follow up on past episodes or themes.


	3. Combined Efforts

**Episode Tie-in:** _Signs_ (Season 3, Episode 22).

* * *

As the performance ended, Chris hugged Theresa. He couldn't believe it. Not only did he convince his teachers from the School of the Arts and his temporary colleagues from Calloway High to come together for a performance, they pulled it off with very few difficulties.

While any performance required practice, this one required a bit more practice than usual. Calloway was a school for the deaf. Incorporating hearing-impaired students into a song and dance performance was going to be tricky at best. Similarly, it was just as challenging for the School of the Arts students to learn the sign language that corresponded to the song's lyrics. Chris didn't expect signing and singing at the same time to be as difficult as it was for some of his friends. Still, he was impressed that they actually wanted to do this.

Despite all of that, though, both school's students and staff warmed up to each other during the practices and rehearsals. Chris was amazed when Mr. Slater, one of Calloway's counselors, told him his school had never done anything like this during his time there as both a student and a staff member.

After the performers took their bows and the curtain closed, the group proceeded to the cafeteria. Once everyone arrived, Doris stood in front of the group with Theresa and another Calloway student. They would read Doris' lips and translate her words into sign language.

"Everybody, on behalf of the School of the Arts, we thank you for joining us and invite you to enjoy some light refreshments," Doris told the group.

Slowly, students and staff from both schools perused the offerings and grabbed cookies, cups of punch, and other assorted treats.

* * *

Mr. Shorofsky took a small sip of punch as Miss Grant spoke.

"Benjamin, that was amazing. Two weeks ago, I was about ready to pull my hair out after our singers and dancers started to go at each other like cats and dogs," she said.

"I know. The musicians were anything but focused and cooperative. I was actually loathing the final performance. As much as I was skeptical that Mr. Donlon's idea would work, I was willing to try anything at that point, if it meant the end of the fighting in our rehearsals," Mr. Shorofsky replied.

"I had my doubts, too. But Chris assured me that his other classmates could be an integral part of our performance. I don't think he was convinced when he said it, but everyone pulled it off."

"I was just as impressed, too," Mr. Slater added as he signed his words. "This is the first time we ever performed with a mainstream school. Our students were very skeptical. I'll admit I was, too. But once Christopher showed us what he had in mind, everyone seemed eager to try it."

"Yeah, we both had to cajole our students at times, but your students seemed intrigued by the performance and many of ours wanted to learn as much sign language as they could in our time together. To pull it all off without a hitch was a pleasant surprise," Miss Grant stated.

"Lydia, Benjamin, if you guys like the idea, perhaps we can do this again next school year – have it as an exchange of sorts between our schools."

Miss Grant turned to Mr. Shorofsky. "I like the idea, what do you think?" she asked.

"If our schools' powers-that-be like the idea, I'm all for it. And if the students like the idea, why not?"

* * *

Elsewhere, students from both schools largely mingled with each other. One particular table had spirited conversation, if one could call it that.

"We did it, we really did it," Chris said.

"This was your idea, Chris, we can't take much of the credit," Doris replied.

"Well, you used your experience with sign language from the deaf camp to help us learn. That's no small task."

"Chris is right, Doris," Theresa interjected as she started to sign. "Learning sign language is a challenge for anyone just starting out. Having to sign words to a song and keep in rhythm is a lot more difficult for a novice."

"You can say that again. I tried to learn what I could – really I did – but there were times I wasn't sure if I was doing it right or using the right gesture, so I had to look to see what everyone around me was doing," Danny stated.

"You did just fine, Danny," Theresa assured him. "You'd get better with more practice, though – just like anything else."

"We'll see."

"What happens now, Donlon? Are we gonna do anything else together?" Danny asked.

"You know, I hadn't thought about that. I just thought about how cool it would be for both schools to do a joint performance," Chris replied.

"So we aren't going to see each other anymore? That doesn't seem right – asking my classmates and I to help you and then ditching us," Theresa stated.

"I was thinking I could start a sign language club at the School of the Arts. Even if we don't perform together, we could get together once a semester for an activity of some sort," Doris suggested.

"That sounds interesting."

"Maybe we could have a show once a year, too. I'm curious how comedy works with sign language." Danny said.

"Amatullo, bad jokes are still bad no matter how you tell them," Doris replied.

"Yeah, but us Italians are supposed to be good with our hands. Theresa is right, maybe if I practice some more..."

"Let him, try, Doris. Then he can learn our response to bad jokes," Theresa quipped.

"I'm the drama major and everyone else is the comedian," Danny deadpanned.

* * *

With everyone slowly leaving, Chris and Theresa walked together.

"We will see each other, right," Theresa asked him.

"You really want to see me again? I really screwed up with you when you did everything you could to help me," Chris replied.

"But you really came through in the past week. I never expected you to swallow your pride and come back and ask us to be part of your performance."

Chris recalled Mr. Shorofsky's words on his first day back at the School of the Arts. _"Then I hope you're wise enough to keep these people in your life, Mr. Donlon. They're rare and very valuable."_

"Let's just say someone made me realize you were as much my friends as anyone else."

"So, do you really believe what we sang about?" Theresa asked.

"Well, we all have something to say. Some of us use song. Others use dance. Danny tries to use humor."

Theresa chuckled. "He's pretty funny in an odd sort of way."

"But even you have something to say, even if it's with gestures," Chris added.

Theresa smiled and gave Chris a quick hug. "Don't be a stranger," she told him.

Chris smiled back and signed, "Good bye." ▄

* * *

**Commentary: **There appears to be a continuity issue with this episode. While the character is listed in the cast list as "Theresa," I swear she identifies herself as "Christina" to Doris. I chose to leave her name as Theresa here.

Before I watched this episode, my plan was to have some sort of performance for this chapter. Wouldn't you know, that was the final scene of the episode. So, I decided to write a scene that took place after the performance.

Because a lot of shows often cover a specific topic or theme, only to have it never brought up again in the future, I had both the staff and students mull the possibility of other collaborative activities between the School of the Arts and Calloway.

I'll admit this chapter was a challenge for me to write, but I hope I did well.


	4. Diamond Celebration

**Episode Tie-in:** _The Ol' Ball Game_ (Season 4, Episode 24).

* * *

A number of students and staff found tables and seats at _Lou's Lanes_. Mr. Morloch rounded out the group and announced, "Okay, everybody, dinner is on me!" Everyone erupted into cheers at the good news.

"I tell you what. You guys did a good job coming from behind, that I'll give you your sodas for free," Lou told Mr. Morloch.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want people thinking there were some sort of shenanigans between us and the umpire. Besides, didn't you threaten to ban me from your fine establishment?" Mr. Morloch asked as he sarcastically emphasized the word "fine."

Lou chuckled. "As the umpire, I took my job seriously. I'm not going to let any coach question my strike zone or my judgment. As a business owner, I'd be foolish to turn away any paying customers. Besides, your students are a good portion of my lunch business. I can't do anything to drive them away, now can I?"

"I suppose not. Why not get a couple of pizzas to start. And, if anyone wants something else, they can let you know."

"Sounds good to me, I'll get Laura to start taking orders," Lou replied as he walked back towards the main counter.

Mr. Morloch sat down with the rest of his coaching staff.

"I can't believe we did it," Mr. Shorofsky stated.

"Me either, Benjamin. I tell you what. No mater what level I've coached, I've always hated the nail-biter games. Give me a blowout any time."

"I told you using up all our pinch hitters would backfire," Miss Sherwood said.

"Elizabeth, don't start up on that again. We were down, 6-0, when the guys decided to show up. Of course I had to get them in the game. Besides, I left Nicole and Holly in at the end, didn't I."

"He's right, Miss Sherwood," Mrs. Berg conceded. "He could have yanked her right away, but he didn't. Of course, I don't think he expected her to win the game for us, either."

"That was luck," Miss Sherwood replied.

"In case you didn't notice, baseball is a game of luck most of the time. Leroy making those catches on those deep fly balls was lucky. He misses those, and we would have had our butts handed to us and then-some. Let's not forget Dwight tagging that runner out when he missed home plate. It was easier in our final at-bats to play for a win than to hope for a tie. I'll admit I assumed the worse with Holly up at the end. But, she got to first base when we needed it from her, and she was as much a part of our win as anyone else."

The rest of the adults nodded.

* * *

"So, Amatullo, how do you feel about our win," Chris asked.

"I never thought I'd see the day I'd beat a team with Laurenzano on it. It feels nice to win and to finally shut him up," Danny replied. He did his best to stifle a grin when he saw Holly smiling at him.

"Yeah, it is kind of something that our ragtag team beat the city champs, huh?"

"You can say that again, Donlon. But what made you guys decide to show up?"

Chris froze. Danny was pretty upset when nearly all but one of the guys quit the team after the girls defeated them by a run in an intra-squad scrimmage. Chris feared Danny's reaction if he told him the truth: they were so bored and had nothing else better to do.

"Well … Dwight convinced us to come to the game," he finally said. In Chris' mind, it was true. Dwight **did** persuade the guys to go support the team. He just left out the part where they got sick and tired of playing pinball _ad nauseum_.

Danny turned to Dwight. "Is that true? You really got everyone to change their minds?" he asked.

"Well, I am the captain of the hall patrol. I'm used to having an air of authority. That's why I liked playing catcher. You get to direct the defense from behind the plate."

"Mendenhall, you never cease to amaze me. You got any other secret talents?"

"They wouldn't be secret talents if I knew about them."

Danny shook his head. However, he grabbed his chair and moved it to the adjoining table where Holly and the other girls sat.

"Here's the man of the hour," Doris stated playfully.

"Yeah, here's to our team hero," Holly added.

"Actually, you're the hero. My game-winning run wouldn't have counted had you not made it to first base," Danny replied candidly.

"I'm still confused about that. How come I had to run to first base even though I struck out? I didn't have to do that any of the other times I struck out."

Dwight turned in his chair to face Holly. "It's a rule that the catcher has to catch strike three for it to be an out. With two outs, if the catcher doesn't catch the ball on strike three, the batter can run to first base and the defense has to throw the runner out," he told her.

"It's only when there's two outs?"

"Actually, if there are less than two outs and first base is unoccupied, the same rule applies."

"Okay, now you're confusing me again, Dwight."

"Well, to answer your question, it's part of the rules."

Holly nodded and gave Dwight an impressed look.

"He's right, Holly. You're as much the hero as I am. You had to do your part to help us win. See, I told you taking your cuts would pay off."

Holly chuckled before answering, "I still swung and missed."

"But you still helped us win the game because you didn't quit. That makes you a hero."

"And I told you we'd win," Holly reminded Danny.

Danny was all set to answer when he saw someone else enter _Lou's Lanes_ and look around curiously. The black "I (heart) NY" tee shirt made Danny realize who it was.

"Hey, man, over here! C'mon and join us."

Irving Abromowitz sat down. He was eager to play in the game until he learned it was on a Saturday afternoon – in the middle of the Jewish Sabbath. However, he did show up for the last few innings to support his classmates as a spectator.

"Good job, Amatullo," Irving said.

"Thanks," Danny answered, "you're just in time for our celebratory dinner."

"Are you sure? You guys earned it with the way you played. I'd feel funny since I couldn't play with you."

"It's not your fault the game was on your Sabbath. You were willing to support us as much as you could. What kind of guy would I be if I told you that you couldn't have a slice of pizza or two with us because of your religion?"

"I can't say 'no' after that speech, Danny. I'll stay."

After exchanging a hearty handshake, Danny asked Irving, "So, what do you study anyways? I don't think I've ever seen you in the halls or anything."

"I'm a music student. I have most of my classes with Dwight and the others."

"That makes sense. As a drama major, it's not like I take a lot of music classes. Besides, the less I see of Shorofsky, the better."

"He's not that bad. He's stern, but he really wants you to succeed, just like any other teacher."

"I guess you're right. But I hope I see more of you around some time."

"You, too."

Lou and Laura carried two pizzas each as they walked over to the tables.

"So, who's ready for some pizza?" Lou asked. ▄

* * *

**Commentary: **Given my interest in sports, I think this was a natural episode for me to write about. However, some rules for softball in this time period seem odd when compared with the current rules governing high school softball. In the present, runners can't lead off until the pitch is released. Also, appealing a runner missing a base is a lot simpler. And, once a runner enters the dugout or bench area, he or she can't come back to touch a missed base. That said, this remains one of my favorite episodes.

My original thought was to have this feature Danny and Holly because the two opened up to each other a bit just prior to the game. While I did include them interacting here, I also thought I'd throw in Dwight and Holly interacting, to help explain the former's crush on the latter. In addition, I wanted to show the different discussions from both the adults' and the students' perspectives.

Furthermore, I wanted to address Irving's character. He was one of many characters that appeared in one episode, never to be seen or heard from again. That said, I admired him for observing his Sabbath day even though it meant he couldn't play in the baseball game in which he was looking forward to participating. Although Irving's decision disappointed Danny at first, Danny later accepted it and appreciated it when Irving showed up to cheer for the team for the last part of the game. Later in the show, Danny has a candid talk with Leroy about their friendship, and I'd like to believe that Danny would consider Irving a friend, too, if the latter had any sort of recurring role.


	5. Regrets

**Episode Tie-in:** _Contacts_ (Season 5, Episode 21).

**Attention:** This chapter includes T-rated references to teen sex.

* * *

Kate groaned as her alarm buzzed. Any other time, she looked forward to going to school, but today was different.

"_I suppose I could roll over and go back to bed,"_ she thought to herself. Unfortunately, that wouldn't change what happened the night before.

Kate shook her head in disbelief as she replayed those events in her head. Sure, Chris had been acting differently – perhaps strangely – ever since he was offered an audition for some action-packed television show. But, she had no idea he cast her aside and was paying more attention to the middle-aged woman that spent time preparing him for the audition.

Kate's cheeks flushed as red as her hair when she realized the worst part of the whole situation. Before Chris became a candidate for the role in question, Kate told him in confidence she'd like to be his first. Kate shuddered as she recalled this particular moment. There was no way she could take it back, as much as she wished it this morning. The worst part was the uncertainty. What if Chris still expected that? What if he told his friends? What if they broke up? Kate's teen-aged mind spun in confusion even though she was still flat on her back in bed.

"Kate! Get up, it's a school day, you know!" her mother called from the hallway.

"Okay, mom," Kate said with a pronounced sigh.

Kate grabbed fresh clothes and went into the bathroom for a quick shower before breakfast.

* * *

As Kate arrived at the School of the Arts, her stomach felt as if it was doing jumping jacks as she walked up the stairs and into the main hallway. She looked over her shoulder a number of times as she walked to her hall locker. Chris was the last person she wanted to see. However, having a number of classes together would make that difficult, if not awkward.

Kate sighed loudly as she put her jacket into her locker, grabbed her materials for her first period class, and shut the locker door.

"Something wrong?" Nicole asked.

"You didn't see it, did you?" Kate replied. "Chris has been lying to me. He kissed that producer while you were singing."

"What?" Nicole exclaimed in disbelief. "How could he do that when you're his girl friend?"

"I'm not sure I ever was now. I definitely don't want to be his girl friend now after this. I'm not even looking forward to seeing him in class later. I don't even want to talk to him."

"I can't say I blame you..."

Kate cut off Nicole in mid-sentence. "And after I told him just how interested I was in him. I was such a fool."

Nicole made direct eye contact with Kate before answering, "I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye with each other ever since you asked Jesse to the Sadie Hawkins dance. But for today, I'll do what I can to try to keep Chris from bugging you too much."

"Nicole it's okay, please don't make matters worse."

"Don't worry. Cheating on one's boy friend or girl friend is unforgivable. I've got your back today, Kate."

"Gee, thanks, Nicole. I really appreciate it."

As they walked down the hall together, Chris suddenly turned the corner.

"Kate. Kate," he called out to her.

Kate panicked. She wasn't ready to confront him. Without thinking, she turned around and headed towards the elevator.

Nicole quickly interrupted Chris.

"She doesn't want to see you anymore, Chris," she told him.

Chris, however, ignored Nicole and walked past her. He had to tell Kate his side of the story.

* * *

"_Kate! I really am sorry. Really, I am."_

Even though Chris told her that during her lunch break, the words still echoed in her head as she headed home.

Kate felt conflicted. She meant it when she said she'd never look at Chris the same way; she knew she'd never trust him after what happened. However, she felt his apology was sincere. She didn't understand why he'd offer to give up his audition, though. She had no intentions of taking him back anyways. But still, didn't she owe it to Chris to at least treat him civilly – as she would any other classmate with which she had classes?

It wasn't all that long after she arrived home that the phone rang. After a few moments, her mother called out to her.

"Kate, phone," she said.

Kate tensed up. _"What if it's Chris? I can't tell mom we're not seeing each other now – not yet."_ she thought.

"Who is it?" Kate finally asked.

"It's Nicole."

"I'll take it," Kate replied. After breathing a sigh of relief, she picked up the extension phone.

"Kate?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah."

"How are you? You seemed pretty flustered after lunch. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, I think. I don't think I told you, though. Chris confronted me on my way to _Lou's Lanes_ for lunch."

"I thought something was up when I saw you in last period. But it's not like I could pass you a note or ask you in front of the whole class."

"Trust me, Nicole, that means a lot to me."

"Are you really going to get through this? I was surprised when you two started dating. And, to be honest, I thought you two had something special – at least until last night."

"I made it through Miltie's crush and infatuation with me with my dignity intact – for the most part. Chris' cheating on me is going to hurt for a while, but I'll be alright. But, why are you looking out for me?"

On the other end, Nicole fiddled with the receiver. The truth was, she still hadn't totally forgiven Kate for asking Jesse to the Sadie Hawkins dance while she was having a fight with him earlier in the semester. But in the time since then, Kate had proven herself to be a decent classmate and a good singer when they'd perform together.

"Well, you know, when someone treats you like dirt, you could use someone to be supportive. For you, it was time for me to leave the past in the past and let you know I'm here for you when you need me," Nicole finally responded.

"Thanks, Nicole. I'm feeling a little better now," Kate said.

"I'll see you tomorrow. And let's have lunch together. Remember what Miss Grant taught us in our karate lessons: there's strength in numbers."

"You got it. I better finish my homework for tomorrow. Thanks for calling, Nicole."

As Kate hung up the phone, she cracked her first smile of the day. Undoubtedly, seeing and interacting with Chris in the next few days would be awkward. But knowing she had someone willing to support her made the situation that much better for her. ▄

* * *

**Commentary: **With my previous chapters all taking place after episodes, I wanted to have one that included events taking place within scenes of an episode. Also, I wanted to explore the topic of a failed relationship. After all, not everything in life is positive, so I wanted to write something where a character has to deal with a negative situation.

Unlike other romantic pairings during _Fame's_ run, this (short) relationship between Chris and Kate came right out of nowhere. Oddly, it's never mentioned in the last few episodes of season five, either. However, one could easily speculate this plays a role in Kate not returning to the school in season six.

When in love, it's very easy to open up to one's lover and share some more personal details about one's self. However, if the relationship fails, the more personal the information shared seems to directly correlate to the awkwardness felt by either person after the breakup. In Kate's case, her telling Chris, "I want you to be my first," was probably the ultimate in personal information. There's no way that statement can't be awkward when the relationship ended.

Although my portrayal of Nicole here and in my previous _Fame_ story, _Exit, Stage Boston_, is speculative, I wanted Nicole to be supportive of Kate here. She and Jesse had rough patches in their ongoing relationship. Although they didn't break up until season six, I figured Nicole might be the best classmate to help Kate though her own rough time, event if it meant overlooking the fact Kate did ask Jesse to be her date for the Sadie Hawkins dance.


	6. Past, Present, and Future

**Episode tie-in:** _Baby, Remember My Name_ (Season 6, Episode 24 / Finale).

**Attention:** This chapter makes reference to Nicole's in-season death as a passenger in a drunk driving accident.

* * *

After paying the cab driver, Bruno walked up the main entrance and paused for a moment. The School of the Arts held many fond memories for him.

"Three years later and it still hasn't changed," he said to himself. Although Bruno reluctantly dropped out of the School of the Arts during his senior year, he felt honored to be invited to be part of the Alumni Week celebration. In the ensuing three years, he had earned his GED and performed a number of various gigs after his initial job at Caruso's. Even though he didn't graduate from the school, both the faculty and his classmates supported him when his father unexpectedly died from a heart attack. To know the school thought enough of him to invite him back gave Bruno a certain feeling of pride.

As he entered the main entrance, he looked around. The school still had the same aura about it. Posters for the upcoming show were a constant, even when the production and cast list changed each semester. Bruno looked closer. Just maybe there was a new club or two since his days as a student.

Bruno followed the signs to the check-in area. While there might be some current students he might remember, he was also curious if he'd recognize any of the alumni. He was surprised to see one familiar face without an alumni name tag. Surely he should have graduated by now? As he approached Danny, he tapped him on the shoulder.

"Are you ever gonna graduate?" Bruno asked Danny. Although his question was intended as playful banter, it was also somewhat serious.

"I can't believe you made it. How are you, Martelli?" Danny replied.

After telling him he was great, Bruno was set to tell Danny more, but one of the teachers quickly spotted the former student.

"Mr. Martelli," Mr. Shorofsky called out.

The pair shared a hug and caught up on the past few years. Now that he was no longer a student and more of musician, Bruno realized just how much he appreciated his cantankerous, demanding music teacher. He figured he owed Mr. Shorofsky a lot of credit for his successes as a musician, no matter how minor they may have been to date. Today was Bruno's chance to finally thank Mr. Shorofsky for making him both a better musician and a better person.

It wasn't long before other recent alumni arrived. Doris, Montgomery, Holly, and Coco all ran into each other at roughly the same time. Even Miss Sherwood showed up. She wasn't an alumna, but she was a long-time English teacher that left the school at the start of the school year to focus on promoting her recently-published novel.

* * *

As the last note came from the impromptu jam session, everyone erupted into cheers. _Baby, Remember My Name_ seemed to be an appropriate song for the combination of alumni, faculty, and staff. Even Mrs. Berg impressed everyone with her dancing skills.

A short time later, the yearbook committee reviewed their video footage. They captured a lot of the day's events on film, but they had to cut it down to no more than two hours. Between student activities, the alumni interviews, and the group singing at the end of the day, they had so much footage that it was difficult to decide what had to be removed.

"We sure have a lot of good stuff here. What are we going to do?" Jesse asked.

"Maybe we can trim the interviews down to one from each decade. Or two at the most. That way, we get a better idea of the school's history – how it's changed and how it's stayed the same," Maxie suggested.

"That makes sense," Jillian replied.

"Something seems missing though," Danny stated.

"I agree with you, Danny, but I don't know what it is," Dusty replied.

"We need something with more pizzazz," Reggie said.

"No, not that. I think we're leaving out an important person or persons in our tribute to students past and present."

Jesse observed the conversation with quiet reflection. Finally, he spoke up.

"I know. A memorial for our other past students," he told everyone.

"What do you mean?" Jillian asked.

"We've taken time to honor our current students and the graduates who have done great things. We need to recognize those who didn't make it ... students such as Nicole."

Everyone else looked on in shock. Given Jesse and Nicole's breakup, nobody expected him to mention her name again – especially after she died as the passenger in a drunk driving accident earlier in the school year.

"You're right. We need to remember her, too," Danny said.

"Might I make a suggestion as the yearbook editor?" Jillian asked. "Why don't we do some research to see who else didn't make it to go on to great things?"

"Who would know such a thing?" Maxie asked.

"Mrs. Berg would. She's been here longer than any of us – even me," Danny quipped.

"You're right. We can ask her tomorrow. But when are we going to start editing for the final product?"

"Let's start that at our next meeting. Lou is hosting an Alumni Week dinner tonight. We should go join them. A lot of the Alumni from out-of-state are using this as their last event of the week," Jillian told everyone.

* * *

At _Lou's Lanes_, Danny walked over to Leroy.

"What's this I hear? You're not teaching anymore?"

"That's right, Amatullo. I'm going to be the lead dancer in something Michael Taftner is producing," Leroy replied proudly.

"The alumni guy Miss Grant shows in her upper-level dance classes? That's amazing. Good luck, man."

"I heard you're about to graduate. Took you long enough."

"Yeah, Danny. Why did it take you six years to get out of here?" Doris asked.

"Well, Mrs. Rhythm," Danny answered, "Nobody ever told me seniors have to fill out a graduation form. By the time I realized it, the deadline to submit it had long past. Given Mr. Morloch was unsympathetic, I was stuck here for another year."

"But why didn't you graduate last year?" Bruno interjected.

"I had the form all filled out and ready to submit. I was sick on a Friday and came back to school on Monday. Wouldn't you know the deadline was the Friday. Mrs. Berg tried her best for me, but Mr. Dyrenforth explained the deadline is hard and fast because it's a school board rule."

"I bet you're glad to finally graduate," Doris deadpanned.

"You can say that again. The past two years, all my assignments have been more advanced than the rest of my classmates'. This year, I was expected to do projects that a college freshman would do. So, yeah, I'm ready to move on."

"What are you gonna do now?"

"I'm thinking of starting out at City College. I'll probably study drama and see what happens from there."

"You're tough, Danny. Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll do great. You're not a quitter."

"Thanks, Donlon, I appreciate that."

Danny turned to face Doris again. "So, will Jenny be in the Class of 2005?" he asked her.

Doris chuckled. "If she wants to take after her mother, why not?"

Leroy grabbed his soda and raised it. "A toast – to the future?"

The group touch their glasses with Leroy's and repeated, "To the future!" ▄

END

* * *

**Commentary:** For this chapter, I decided to entwine events form the episode with this chapter and include a continuation scene as well. Although it wasn't my original plan, it was interesting that I chose to start and end this collection of vignettes with the pilot and final episodes.

In this chapter, I wanted to focus on two issues other fans observed about the finale. First, there is the fact Danny was a student for six years and never graduated. He was a smart enough guy, so I've wondered why the writers did that. While I have a feeling there's no reasonable or logical explanation for this inconsistency, I figured blaming it on paperwork and bureaucracy was as good a reason as any.

Additionally, I've seen fans question the lack of remembering Nicole's character in the finale. We'll probably never know if it was an oversight or if Nia Peeples' departure from the show was not on positive terms. Still, I thought it was only proper someone would want to have some sort of memorial for Nicole and possibly other deceased students.

I also tried to set up the chapter where we start with the past, namely Bruno's return to the School of the Arts. From there, the scenes focused on the present moments capped by everyone singing the _Fame_ theme and continuing with plans to work on the final version of the video yearbook. Finally, the chapter ends with a few people discussing their future plans. I also found it fitting to hint that Doris' newborn daughter could very well end up being a future SOA student.


End file.
